Technical Abstract:
Twenty fragments of microsatellite-containing cpDNA were targeted using forward/reverse primer pairs. Variation in the length of the fragments was analyzed for 14 species representing 9 genera of the tribe Benincaseae, as well as for 7 species from 4 other tribes of the Cucurbitaceae. Cluster analysis indicated that these characters are useful in evaluating genetic affinities among closely related species (e.g., those within the same tribe). However, sequencing of some of the fragments revealed that convergence in fragment length occurs in more distant comparisons (e.g., species from different tribes). Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data confirmed some morphologically-proposed relationships among genera and raised questions about others.